STREET LEVEL

The look: First-grade fabulous

HEADBANDS aren't comfortable. Some sport plastic teeth as sharp as toothpicks. Others are so tight they could make your eyeballs bulge.

But women have never let a little torture get in the way of a great trend. So every morning, the cheap-chic fashionistas at Forever 21 at the Grove fill 24 bins of plastic, cloth and rhinestone headbands. And every evening, the bins are picked clean.

"They're really popular," said a store manager named Karen who, no doubt because of the sensitivity of the topic, refused to give her last name. "Even older people are wearing them -- people in their mid-20s."

"Older people" in their mid-20s are indeed adorning their crowns with the headache-inducing throwbacks to the sweet, simple look of first grade. As are teens, tweens and women in their 40s.

"I love them," said Judy Dromy, 46, who planned to pick up a few (ranging from $2.80 to $5.80) while she shopped at Forever 21 recently.

They've quickly become a Hollywood staple, appearing on the red carpet on starlets like Jessica Simpson.

This, apparently, sent a message that yes, you can wear a headband without looking like you're about to wash your face. And for now, this queen of hair trends shows no sign of losing her crown.